The Old Lab

One of Saranac Lake's local treasures is the old Saranac Laboratory. It is the first Tuberculosis (TB)lab in the US. Saranac Lake was a major community in the fight against TB, and remnants of this healing history are celebrated. Historic buildings have special plaques, there is a great historical society that regularly shares information on many of these buildings.

Recently the main part of the Laboratory was restored and opened up as a museum. The Library wing has been used for years as a place for social events, chamber music concerts and classic film screenings. It is now a museum housing artifacts from the time the lab was in use from opening up until the 1960s. Some of these include medical equipment, items from cure cottages (where many patients lived as they were being treated) and personal items and crafts from patients and former patients.

I have had the opportunity to visit the old lab on two occasions. Four years ago I was photographing the building and was invited inside and shown around. This was when the museum was still in the planning stages and the area was still unorganized. I learned about how the interior fireproof tiling used after Dr. Trudeau's original lab burnt down in an accident. Second floor doorways that now lead to nowhere used to lead to ajacent buildings demolished long ago.

About a month ago I visited the main area of the lab again, now as a completed museum. It is a small museum, but is very well done. Many of the artifacts are now in cases, the lab equipment is now set up as it used to sit in the days the lab was in use. Blown-up old photographs of scientists working in the lab adorn the walls.

The small size allows for a more intimate interaction with history. The old patient bed with attached telegraph, and wheelchair aren't even roped off. Only one area is shut off from visitor access and there are a few cases, but everything else is approachable. Even the old work table is easy to approach, giving a hands-on approach to history. In a way the experience is rather unique compared to many of the larger museums I've visited where it's hard to have that up close and personal feel with the subject matter.

Reminders

Every summer for the past four years I've visited the local farmers' market. I enjoy having fresh produce for cooking and like how I can find fruits and vegetables not common at the local grocery stores. Like some of the peppers I've posted above. A few years ago a second market came to town, both offer their own specialties.

The bittersweet part for me is that this may be the last year I'll be visiting these markets. By this time next year I'll likely be living elsewhere. The farmers' markets in a way have reminded me how set I am in my ways. I'm used to being a settled person. Unlike my army brat fiancee who's used to moving every few years I'm the type who settles and finds contentment. I've only moved a few times in my life.

It makes me realize that I will miss my hometown when I leave. I know I should leave just because as much as I'm attached I need somewhere else to grow personally. I'll miss my friends, and many of the art events I both promote and attend. I like that for most of the year it's a peaceful place to live. I'm not like most of my acquaintances who treat this town like it's the best place on Earth. It's great, but doesn't have what I need. It won't give me a career based from my studies aside from the occasional charity case. I've reached a plateau as an artist because what I do is different from what other artists do. Most artists are of the visual sort, and while I am of the literary sort most other writers I know either write about local history or traditional poetry. Their compliments help me feel like I'm going in the right direction, but I know I need to find others who write in the same style to get the growth I desire.

I'm sure wherever I go, I'll find other markets to shop at. They won't be the same as the ones I've been frequenting these past few years. I just need to remind myself that when I find where I'm going, and am able to settle, I should be fine.

A Moment

Recently I experienced an urge of spontaneity. It struck me as I was walking home from work during a downpour. I had my umbrella with me since I am usually practical. As of late I have fallen into a funk and feel like I'm at a crossroads in life. I was thinking about this during my walk, when I decided to just remove myself from the shelter of the umbrella.

I held it at my side, not even bothering to close it. I felt that I needed the rain and welcomed the downpour. I'm sure I looked crazy in my wholehearted acceptance of the rain. If I had decided to close my umbrella it may have been more discrete. Instead I let it trail behind me, collecting rain. There was something cleansing about the rain, I couldn't quite describe it really. Something about it just helped me feel better. It was healing.

Normally I wouldn't do such a thing. I would find the idea of getting drenched to be uncomfortable and frustrating. I would just want to get home and out of the rain. I find it funny that I felt I needed the rain that day to wash away something.

On Being the Other

I missed my high school reunion, it was this past weekend. I only heard of it from word of mouth from one former classmate, but was unsure of when it actually was. My high school either didn't sent out anything, or only sent out very few notices, it wasn't in the local paper's calendar. There was no word of it, despite the owner of the bar it was held at being told it would be a big event.

I pondered my reunion quite a big, I even wrote about it and the idea of whether or not I wanted to actually attend. Main reason being, aside from an education and a small circle of friends, I really had no connection to my high school. I still see some of the people from my graduating class now and then, I have an idea of who's successful, who isn't, know who started a family and whatnot.

My circle of friends was small, and even then they were the ones considered "misfits". I was the smart but unambitious type who hung out with guys who had learning disabilities. Having friends of mixed company with no romantic interaction is considered an oddity at this phase in life. We were "others". Even amongst this crew I still felt like the "other". I was both the eldest child in my family (My friends were the youngest in theirs) and yet I was the youngest of the group. I was also the only one whose parents were separated. I was already drifting away from the girls I was friends with since elementary school. My personal tastes and beliefs were different from theirs, even today I'm still different from them. While they're all settled down with families I turned out more like my guy friends, committed but not settled.

I have always been an Other, it was drilled into me by my peers at an early age. I was no different from them in terms of visible differences. I was just the "odd" one who became singled out. In later years I grew to accept it. I was different, and there was nothing wrong with that. My personal interests were based on what fit my life, and the same went for those I grew up around. While one friend balked at my preference for nonfiction rather than high fantasy books, I found some form of solace in the rock bios I was reading. My teen years were strangely tumultuous and none of my friends could relate.

The years after high school started with what became a dormant period. The last of my childhood friends drifted out of life only to retain sporadic contact. I slowly gained other friends, some of them older than me. I grew into this different skin gradually. I know one thing that helped was becoming an artist and making myself a part of the art community. While what I do is very different, I find my Otherness is welcomed. It's seen as bringing something new to the table. I'm once again the one of the youngest people in my social circle, but my youth is seen as an asset. I was the one who was given the opportunity to do social media work for an art group. My peers are familiar with email, some with blogging, but are not as net savvy as myself. My personal style goes outside of the local, which is again welcomed as giving my work a universal touch. Being a performance poet, I also touch upon issues most artists in my area don't have avenue for. Landscape painters would have a difficult time addressing issues such as bullying through their art.

Otherness is something that should be celebrated. In formative years it is awkward to be different from most people, but unique attributes can become assets. While I am still wildly different from many of the people I associate with, the things that make me different are what make me accepted.

Senior Employee

The longest job I've ever held, is my current job. I've been there almost eight years, sometimes it feels longer, other times it feels like I started just yesterday.

When I was first hired I didn't know what to expect in terms of how long I'd be staying. I was in need of work after returning home from my first attempt at moving out of my hometown. Things didn't work out and I was back, and in need of work. I took what I could find that paid decent and gave me hours I was capable of working.

Actually, I had another offer before I took my current job, and didn't like it. It was for another convenience store that offered lower than asking pay with strange hours. I didn't like it and in my own desperation sought an interview elsewhere in hopes of finding a better deal, which is what I got. If I didn't like it, I could always look elsewhere later. Main point was I had a job, could find an apartment, and be that adult my Mother wanted me to be.

Over the years I've seen the good and the bad. Right now I've been there longer than anyone else, including my current manager. I've worked almost every shift, the only exception being opening. I know my way around the store, got to see it remodeled this past fall, seen regulars come and go. Some days it makes me feel old, even though I'm still in my twenties.

It's done a lot of good for me though. It built up my self confidence, something I lost during my brief time living in Florida. I made a few friends over the years who have drifted in and out of my life. At times I've witnessed some pretty scary things, such as fights or the one time I watched a guy OD right in front of the door after lock up. Scariest thing I ever saw. We were there later than usual due to having to call rescue, talk to the police, and wait for the ambulance to pull out of the parking lot so my co worker and I could leave.

In many ways, things stay constant. Sometimes the crowds change, but their behaviors remain the same. Young adults hang out all day loitering, elderly customers come into get their coffee and tickets and just hang out for the afternoon. Families take their kids in for dessert or a post-game treat during the summer. At the same time some customers tell me they like I'm still around, because I am familiar in the sometimes revolving door that is the rest of the staff.

It's driven me crazy at times, but I know I'll probably miss it when it's my time to leave. I know I'm nearing the end of my time there. Could be next year, could be a few years from now. I just know that one day somebody else will become the senior employee.

Art Walks

Summer's here again, which means the Third Thursday Art Walks. Third Thursday from June through September the downtown is decorated with colorful balloons and the downtown gains a festive air. Art galleries are open, local businesses display art or art-related demonstrations like crafts and even magic shows, musicians play at other businesses or street corners in one big town-wide event.

These Art Walks have been going on for a little over a decade now, and I have been attending them every chance I can. I've seen these events grow over the years as Saranac Lake has become the Adirondack's arts destination. More galleries have opened, artist with different styles and mediums have been displaying. Initially most of the art on display was Adirondack themed, landscapes, nature-related subjects, the outdoors, etc. Over time this has expanded to more contemporary art, abstract, and experimental works.

I've also seen the change on the inside as well. When I first started attending the Art Walks I was just a spectator, an appreciator of art. I visited the galleries to see what was on the walls, would sit in Berkley Green for a concert, and generally just wander. Now as an artist I see it differently. While performance poetry might be a bit difficult to pull off for such an event, as it is a medium were it doesn't suit as background like music, I can still wander and appreciate. Now it feels more like making rounds, as I personally know and have gained respect from many of the artists who participate.




I am able to participate in my own little way though, as part of the Smokin' Art project. A vintage cigarette machine was refurbished last year and is now used to dispense small pieces of art. Several artists participate in this project, placing small paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, metalwork, and even theater coupons for shows. Most people who use the machine for art walk away happy customers. It also is great for promoting many of the artists. Yesterday I was even asked to sign a poem for somebody. I'll also admit that I am a frequent customer myself and have a nice little collection of pieces.

Being an artist and observer of the Art Walks I feel that they will only grow as events. Saranac Lake's art community in general has grown in terms of artists and events. What started as a few artists with galleries has now grown to an event that spans several venues. Saranac Lake has become known as a place for artists, some of whom now relocate here because of the friendly atmosphere of the art community. Events now include a Plein Air festival in August, a studio tour weekend in September, film screenings and art in general having a major influence on the greater community.

The Earliest Fascination

For as long as I can remember, I have had an interest in dinosaurs. I am interested in prehistoric life in general, but dinosaurs are what captured my fascination the most. I don't know where this interest came from, it began so far back I can't pinpoint a beginning. As a child I had dinosaur toys, books, even a bed tent at one point with colorful dinosaurs decorating its exterior. I am glad my parents always indulged my interests.
One thing I loved to do as a child was look through my parents' old photo albums, paying particular interest to photos from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. There were many other photos in those volumes of albums, but I loved the museum photos. It became a dream of mine to visit this museum and see everything for myself.
I did get a chance to see some fossils when I was in high school during a trip to Washington DC. The Smithsonian Natural History Museum had a few reconstructed skeletons, and assorted fossils. The display was confined to a room or two, and felt rather small. The pictures I had taken with the disposable camera my Mom got for me to use came out dark and gritty.
I finally got my chance in June of 2008, when I took a trip to the city for a concert. I set aside a day for sightseeing as well, and decided the AMNH would be my place to visit. To my pleasant surprise the whole top floor of the museum is devoted to fossil displays. The exhibit halls may have changed since my parents' visits from the 1970s, but these displays seemed grander. The collection is unbelievable, including classics like the Tyrannosaurus and the two Anatotitans.

I took my time to look over the skeletons, despite feeling slightly tired from the show the night before. Sunlight streamed through the windows and mingled with the overhead lights. The display halls were crowded with people, many like me who just wanted to take in the wonders before them. Yet there is something about standing face to face with a creature that lived millions of years ago that makes the crowds worth it.
I returned to AMNH this past summer for another visit to the fossil exhibits. I was on a tighter schedule this time around, but having seen the museum as a whole before I spent the majority of my visit in the fossil halls. I hope in the future to return to the museum or visit displays that are just as grand.